Cotton-gin rib



Narni) STATES lDATENr OFFICE.

VLLIAM F. EDVARDS, OF COVINGTON, GEORGIA.

COTTON-GIN RIB.

p LSPECEFCATON forming part of Letters Patent No. 310,193, dated January 6, 1885.

Application filed September 3, 1884. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom, it may concern:

Beit known that LWILLIAM F. EDwARDs, acitizen of the United States, residing at Govington, in the county of Newton and State of Georgia, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Cotton-Gin Ribs, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates tocotton-gin ribs, aud especially to that class of the same which have at the points where the saws pass between them plates to resist the wear to which these parts of the ribs are subjected; and it'has for its object to improve the construction of the same, so as to provide a reversible plate,which may be detached from its seat and replaced by another, or changed around to present a new wearing-surface, said plate having four distinct wearing-surfaces which may be utilized before casting it aside.

To this end it consists in certain details of construction, as hereinafter set forth, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved gin-rib. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the plate detached. Fig. 3 is alongitudinal sectional view, lthe ends of the rib beyond the plate being broken off. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a gin-rib and its plate, the latter having three of its wearing-faces worn away, and showing it in position to be adjusted in the rib to present the remaining wearing-face.

Like letters refer to corresponding parts in the several figures. p

Referring to the drawings, A designates the gin-rib, of the usual form, having its face c. provided with a recess, b, at that point of its length where it usually becomes worn away by the action of the cotton-seed and grit. This recess has its bottom wall tapered or inclined inwardly from the center toward the ends, so that the center is the highest point, and the ends are the lowest points of the recess. Shoulders c e extend from the rib through the ends of the recess, and have their sides beveled or tapered off to points f, said sides also inclining inwardly from the face a of the rib, for the purpose hereinafter explained.

G designates the wear-plate, concavo-concave in section, as shown, the ends being the thickest portion of the plate, said ends i z' ben `ot-her when worn out.

ing provided with V-shaped notches to fit the angular shoulders c e of the recess b. A screw, D, is passed through the rib from the rear, and also through the wear-plate C, so as to provide additional holding means for said plate.

It will be seen that, by reason of the peculiar concavo-concave shape of the plate G, it will fit within the corresponding]y-shaped re cess b, so as to leave no projecting points and conform to the shape of the rib.

The operation and advantages of myinvention will be readily understood by those skilled in the art to which it appertains when taken in connection with the description and annexed drawings.

The saws work between the gin'ribs in the manner well-known, and in order to provide against wear, to which only a certain part ot' the rib is subjected, it has been customary to attach a steel plate which is detachable, so that it may be removed and replaced by anlt is of the utmost i1nportance that this steel plate should be held securely in place, for if it is jammed sidewise whilein operation it will do considerable damage.

Various means have been employed to hold the plate from lateral movement, but they each possess numerous disadvantages, in a practical sense,that render them obj ectionable in use.

It has been the special object of my invention `to overcome these objections, and in order to deiine more clearly the nature and advantages of my improvement I would have it understood that l am aware that a steel plate has been laid in the face of a gin-rib and held by a V-shaped notch at one end and a screw at the other. Practice has demonstrated beyonda doubt that the end of the plate fast cned by the screw will soon work loose, and allow the plate to project so as to be struck by the saws. I therefore deem it essential that both ends should be held from lateral movement by a joint, which will be sufcient in itself to hold the plate from displacement and relieve the screw from wear. Furthermore, this old form of plate cannot be reversed when worn out at one end, and thus it becomes necessary to supply a new plate to the rib, although the old plate could be used again if it were adapted to be changed around so as t present a new wearing-face.

IOO

I am also aware that a gin-rib has been provided-with a plate having curved projections at its ends to fit into a correspondingly-shaped recess ot' the rib, but experience has taught ginners that the recesses or notches should be in the plate, and not in the rib, so that the sides et' the plate at the ends will protect the rib at the point ofj unctiou therewith and take the wear. By constant use the rib at the point I@ of junction with the plate wears away when Y the notches are in the rib, so that there will bc no support for the ends of the plate, and the rib must be renewed or the plate will turn over and do damage to the saws. Moreover,

the screw passes through the plate into the rib, so that it' it becomes rusty it cannot be removed without breaking the screw in the rib. In my plate the screw passes through the rib into the plate, and thus this objection 2O will be in a measure avoided. Another disadvantage of this plate is that by reason of having one face concave and the other face straight it cannot be reversed, so that when one end ofthe' plate is worn out it must be cast aside.

It is well known that only the upper ends of the plate become worn while in use. Itis a matter of some expense to renew these plates when only one end has been worn; but by the 3o ordinary form of rib and the manner of its attachment it has been found necessary to do so, or the plates will soon be displaced. To avoid this needless expense, I have devised my improved gi nrib so that it may be rea versed both from the ends and faces, and thus provide four wearingfaces-two at each end on opposite sides-thereby enabling the plate to last four times longer than those in common use.

4o In Fig. et I have shown a plate having three of its wearing-faces worn in position for adjustment to the rib so as to present the remaining wearing-face. XVhere the plates are iitted at their ends in notches ot' the rib, the

4 5 wear comes partly on the sides of the latter at thejunetion with the plate, so as to leave no support for the plate and require the insertion of a new rib. In my device the wear comes entirely on the plate, which, as stated,

5o is reversible, so that when one wearing-face has become worn the plate may be changed around to present a new wearing-face.

rIhe plate is preferably made of steel, concave-concave in section, in order that its ends 5 5 may be provided with a purchase against the shoulders of the rib, the V-shaped notched ends itting around the shoulders and held from turning over. The length of the plate vwill be about three times the space usually 6o worn on gin-ribs-say about one and one-half or two inches long. The shape might be called that of a parallelogram, with the exception that its ends are forked, the width being that of a gin-rib. 'Ihe two faces of the plate are to be sufficiently concave, so as to iit exactly the opening in the rib when either side of the plate is turned, the idea being to have the rib in the same shape after the plate is put in as it was before any change was made in the rib. The screw may be leftout when the rib is of such material as to allow the plate to spring into place, but when screws are used care must be taken that the points should be left in such shape as not to hinder the passage of the lint-cotton. Another important point is that there will berno hanging ofthe cotton or the seed thereto, the points of the plate being so shaped as to allow damp cotton or soft seed to pass upward easily and prevent all choking.

The peculiar shape of the plate enables it to be attached with ease, and without any possibility of it being adjusted wrong.

Other advantages are attained by the use of my invention, but it will not be necessary to further recite them here.

Having described my invention, I clai1nl. As an improved article of manufacture, the herein-described cotton-gin rib, having a recess formed therein, shoulders projecting from the rib into the ends of the recess, a plate concavo-eoncave in form and fitted in the correspondinglyshaped recess ofthe rib, and hav ing its ends notched to receive the said shoulders, the sides of the plate at the ends protecting the rib from wear, as set forth.

2. As an improved article of manufacture, the herein-described cottongin rib, having a recess formed therein, shoulders projecting from the rib into the ends of the recess and tapered to a point, a plate iitted in the recess of the rib, and having Vshaped notches at each end to receive the said shoulders, the sides of the plate at the ends thereof protecting the rib from wear, and said plate being reversible, so that when one wearing-surface has been worn it can be changed around to present a new wearing-face, as set forth.

3. As an improved article of manufacture, the herein-described cotton-gin rib, havinga recess formed therein, and a plate fitted in the recess, said plate being concave-concave in form, and the recess in the rib being shaped correspondingly to receive the plate, the latter thereby being reversible both from the ends and faces, so that when one weari 11g-surface hasvbeen worn the plate can be changed around to present a new wearing-face, as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

TILLIAM F. EDVARDS.

Titnessesr Josian F. McConn, SAMUEL I). FOX.

ICO 

